Welcome,
This is Sarah Ann Schumann and I'm going to be guiding you in a short practice called Soothing Touch.
I invite you to come to a comfortable seat and you can either close your eyes or soften your gaze and I'm going to guide you through several different places where you can put your hands on your body to offer yourself soothing touch and I invite you to start by taking your right hand and gently placing it over your heart and just notice how it feels to have your hand over your heart maybe noticing the sense of pressure and sending yourself compassion as you're touching your heart.
You might notice the rise and fall of your chest under your hand as you breathe in and out of your nose and then I invite you to take your left hand and just place it gently over your right hand.
Noticing the pressure of your hands over your chest,
The movement of your hands and chest with your breath and sending yourself compassion.
Now you can place your hands gently on your lap and cup one hand in the other.
Noticing the sensation of the skin on your hands.
This is a way to show yourself compassion.
Maybe when you're in public nobody really knows what you're doing but you're holding your own hand being kind to yourself.
Another option is to put one hand on a cheek.
Noticing the warmth of your skin or you could cradle your face in your hands.
Just noticing which of these positions is the most soothing for you.
You could take your right hand and put it on the back of your head just above your neck and then take your left hand and place it gently over your forehead so you're gently cradling your head between your hands.
Take a couple breaths here in and out of your nose.
This can be very soothing when you have racing thoughts.
It's a way to offer compassion to yourself when things are difficult.
You can return your hands to your lap.
Try crossing your hands over your chest and giving yourself a gentle hug.
Maybe pairing that with some kind words like it's going to be okay.
I love you.
Sending yourself kindness in a difficult moment.
You could place one hand on your abdomen.
Noticing the movement of your hand with your breath.
Try placing your other hand over the hand that's on your abdomen or leave one hand on your abdomen and put the other hand on your chest.
Sending yourself kindness as you sense that pressure under your hands and noticing the movement with your breath.
Now I invite you to pick whichever soothing touch position was most comforting to you.
Just taking a few breaths in that position.
Sending yourself kind thoughts.
Sending yourself compassion.
Knowing that at any time when you're experiencing a moment of suffering,
You can offer yourself soothing touch and a moment of kindness.
Taking three final deep breaths in and out of your nose.
Breathing in compassion for yourself.
Softening your body as you breathe out.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
And always remember to offer yourself compassion.
Namaste.
